


Through the Smoking Mirror

by Maquiskat (Lilahkat)



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-22
Updated: 2011-06-22
Packaged: 2017-10-20 15:53:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/214428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilahkat/pseuds/Maquiskat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Janeway's help with Q Jr., the Continuum decides Mrs. Q owes Janeway for her help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Through the Smoking Mirror

**Author's Note:**

> Note: I am not a historian or an archaeologist. I also believe you should never let the facts get in the way of a good piece of fiction. I've seen a lot of fiction where people have Chakotay honoring the beliefs of tribes that are North American Plains Indians. Not that I have a problem with this, but as far as canon goes, he seemed to be a member of a fictional South American tribe. So I split the difference and did some research into some known South/Central American natives (Toltecs, Aztecs and the Mayans) and borrowed heavily from them as I wrote this piece. The ritual I have them practicing… well, they did have a ritual for this, but this is not it. I am going for 'flavor' here NOT absolute historical accuracy.

Kathryn paged through yet another report, trying to block out the chaotic thoughts that still plagued her even six months after their arrival on Earth. So far things didn't look very good for her getting another command, in fact if the rumblings were to be believed she was facing the rest of her career behind a desk. As an Admiral. Her crew had gone their separate ways and while they all checked up on their Captain regularly it just wasn't the same.

The worst part was that the one thing that hadn't changed was her relationship with Chakotay. The one thing that she had wanted to change the most was the one thing that she could now never change. As his best friend, she'd been the first told about his plan to marry Seven. He'd even asked her to stand with him during the ceremony as his 'Best Friend' and as much as it pained her, she said yes. What else could she have done? She wasn't the type to rail and rage. Kathryn knew she lived in a universe of her own making and she wasn't about to throw away her best friend over a shattered fantasy. Even if that fantasy was what had kept her going through the worst times of the Delta Quadrant. Before she allowed herself to wallow too deeply, Kathryn shook herself out of it and moved to her replicator. "Coffee, black."

As the swirling light of the replicator faded, instead of the requisite cup of coffee a small piece of folded paper appeared. Kathryn's brow furrowed as she picked up the note and unfolded it, three bold letters in a flourished scrawl printed in dark red glared up at her. "I. O. U."

"It must be Tom's idea of a joke," Kathryn grumbled and turned her attention to the replicator, "Coffee…"

Someone cleared their throat behind her, and a haughty, familiar female voice echoed through the room. "Trust me, your helm boy had nothing to do with this one."

"Q," Kathryn turned to find the female Q perched on the edge of her desk with a vaguely disinterested look on her face. "I'm almost afraid to ask what this…" She held the note a loft. "… is about."

"What does it look like… It's an I.O.U." The Q left her perch and moved to look out the window towards the bay. "And as embarrassing as it is, the Continuum has decided that *I* personally owe you for helping bring Jr. to heel. Strangely appropriate actually…" The omnipotent female turned and seemed to paint a smile on her face. "Now, I'm certain we both want to get this over with as quickly as possible, so you tell me what you want, I'll snap it up for you and we'll call it even."

Kathryn took a deep breath and tried to hush the devils on her shoulder that were whispering all the possible prizes she could ask for. "Q, you don't owe me anything. Q is my godson. I'm just glad I could help." She settled behind her desk once more and picked up a padd.

"Oh, puleeze… Don't play all noble with me this time." Q growled as she stalked up to the desk and leaned down, bracing herself as she did so. "There has to be something you want." A snap and a flash of light produced blueprints for a working transwarp drive. "Want to be able to go visit some Delta Quadrant boyfriends? There you go… Or maybe something more personal…" Q pursed her lips and snapped again. This time the flash enveloped Janeway herself and when it faded left her barely twenty. "How about that… Live your life over again." Before Janeway could respond, Q had snapped once more, the light once again enveloped Kathryn. This time when it faded, Kathryn was still twenty, but it was as though her body had filled out more, her figure becoming more curvaceous, though still in proportion with her height and generally small frame. "If you think the body is nice… You should see everything else." Suddenly a mirror appeared in front of her. Kathryn was almost taken back by what she saw. While she was still essentially the Kathryn Janeway she knew; aside from being barely twenty; everything about her was more perfected. Long flowing hair that was the perfect shade of reddish golden brown. Lips that seemed just slightly fuller, almost as though they were kiss swollen, the perfect shade of pink with a slightly wet look.

Forcing herself to pull away, Kathryn glared at the Q. "I don't want any of this… I'm happy the way I am."

"You're either a liar or delusional… And I'm leaning toward the later." Q stalked around the desk and pulled Kathryn out from behind. "Look I am not leaving here until I've given you something… It doesn't matter if you don't want it, it doesn't matter if I really don't want to give it. The Continuum has spoken. Let's just get it over with. Keep the look… For a mortal, it's gorgeous. You'd even be able to win Tattoo boy back from your pet drone like this."

Kathryn stiffened slightly, a look of regret crossing her face. "Q, I can't… I can't do that to Seven. Just… Make a perfect cup of coffee for me and we'll call it even."

"A cup of coffee?" Q released the mortal woman and flopped back onto the couch looking up at Kathryn in disbelief. "I offer you a chance to get back your heart's desire … Don't lie to me and tell me it isn't." She let out a breath slowly, "And all you ask for is a cup of coffee." Q shook her head slowly then looked up at Kathryn once more. "You are far to nice for your own good."

A crooked grin crossed Kathryn's face as she watched the Q, "From you, I'll take that as a compliment."

"It wasn't meant as one." Q commented blandly as she stood and started to pace. "Let's see… You won't use what I gave you to break up the drone and your man through some misguided sense of loyalty, so it stands to reason that you won't let me break up the happy couple either. You claim you're happy as you are, yet you have no life outside of Starfleet and being omniscient I know damn well you're lying. Yet somehow the Continuum expects me to give you something that will make you happy." She turned, settling her hand on her hips. "I don't suppose you could make this any easier for me?"

"How about a life time supply of perfect coffee?" Kathryn leaned against the edge of her desk. "That would make me happy…"

Q sighed, "I'm supposed to be your personal genie for one wish, not your own personal drug pusher. Besides the Continuum means gut wrenchingly, soul at peace happy, not the transient adrenaline fix you get from that awful brown goop you're constantly drinking." Q met Kathryn's annoyed gaze evenly, "Don't look at me like that, it is awful brown goop and it's your godson who set the conditions for your wish not me… You want to take it up with someone, see him."

Kathryn's face softened at the mention of Junior. "How is he?"

"Q? Oh he's fine… He babysits his father now more than the other way around. It was bound to happen eventually." Q shrugged then glared at the mortal woman. "No more changing the subject…"

Sighing Janeway stepped up to the omnipotent woman, "Look I really appreciate all the thought you're putting…"

"Ah ha… I have it." Q cut her off suddenly as she whirled to face the human woman and smiled. "You won't let me fix things here between you and Tattoo boy, you want an unlimited supply of coffee and you have a thing about being in charge. I have the perfect solution." Snapping her fingers, Kathryn's Starfleet uniform disappeared only to be replaced by a long white gown of soft cotton that clung to her body in all the right places, fine enough that very little was left to the imagination, a woven belt of green, blue and gold slung low on her hips, a heavy collar of gold and jade surrounded her neck and her hair was braided with ribbons in the same greens, blues and golds. "Perfect…" Another snap and Q was adorned in much the same manner.

"Q, I don't think…" Kathryn started, only to be silenced by Q, pressing her hand to the mortal's lips.

"That's right… Don't think. For once in your pathetic mortal life, just do…" Q arched a brow, "You're very good at that when it comes to your career, but in your personal life. Darling, lets face it … you stink." Q grinned as she noted Kathryn gaping at her. "Besides this is just a vacation, a very nice, relaxing vacation… Where hopefully you'll find an outlet for all those pent up frustrations from the last seven years." Before Kathryn could retort, the blinding flash of light enveloped them both and they disappeared from Star Fleet Command.

*~^~*~^~*

A haze of sweet smelling smoke filled the carved stone room that they appeared in. "Play along now… It won't go well with the Continuum if you die because you don't do exactly what I say." Q glared at Janeway as she moved forward to straighten the jeweled collar that hung around the mortal woman's neck.

Kathryn's hands found her hips. "Take me back now, Q…"

"Too late," Q grinned evilly as she snapped her fingers once more taking on the form of a great winged rainbow colored serpent that wound it's tail around Kathryn's waist. Her voice was breathy and syllabent as she regarded the mortal woman with the cold black serpent eyes she had now. "Show time…"

Despite lacking a universal translator, Kathryn found she understood the words the echoed through the chamber perfectly, as Q; in her new form; drew both of them closer to the source of the voices. "Quetzalcoatl, we prepare this woman to be the vessel for Xilonen. We beseech you to implore your sister goddess to take this woman and make use of her so that our rituals may go forth and we may ensure the harvests for another cycle."

Kathryn felt herself being tugged through the smoke, before a deep resonating voice boomed from the winged form along side her. "A vessel will not be necessary… Xilonen herself comes to claim her due." Stepping between two large animal shaped braziers, Kathryn found herself facing an entourage of golden skinned priests dressed in flamboyant costumes with fearsomely painted faces and wicked looking obsidian weapons. A young terrified woman knelt bound between the two foremost priests. Years of first contact training came to the fore as Kathryn's posture took on the regal bearing that she'd used so many times aboard Voyager she met the priests gaze with an impassive glare. In an instant everyone but Kathryn and Q fell to their knees, prostrating themselves to their gods.

Taking a deep breath, Janeway looked towards the omnipotent miscreant alongside of her. Starfleet training screamed at her about how wrong it was to interfere in a cultures religious rights, but her mind also reminded her of Q's less than veiled threat earlier as to what could happen if she didn't go along with everything as wrote. Besides, Kathryn told herself, if she didn't interfere, only played the role Q had assigned to her, then perhaps she could minimize the damage done to the culture.

From his position against the channeled stone floor, not daring to look up, the head priest finally spoke. "We are truly blessed when our gods walk upon the Earth at our side… Oh Quetzalcoatl, how may we appease you and the Goddess Xilonen."

"My blessings will be upon you if you find the most appropriate vessel for Tezcatlipoca so that the Earth may be renewed again and his lusts may be appeased." Q moved forward ominously, the feathers and scales rustling against one another as she did so.

Janeway could almost feel a shift in the tension in the room as though a wave of relief had flowed through all in attendance. Her brow furrowed slightly as she looked towards Q, wondering exactly what the significance of this Tezcatlipoca was and exactly what the omnipotent woman was up to. Moving forward, but remaining behind the winged serpent form that Q had adopted, Kathryn racked her brain for the right information but found that it wouldn't come. Scuffling sounds in front of her as the group of priests struggled to rise without lifting their eyes distracted her from her thoughts. "We must send word to the king of your manifestation, Quetzilcoatl. The warriors have already been assembled in the game yard for the celebrations."

A brief nod of Q's snake head signaled her assent and two runners broke from the back of the group as the other priests lead them down the steps of the great pyramid. The view was breathtaking as Kathryn looked out across the carved stone yard, beasts and gods inlayed in gold and jade on the structures, sunlight glinting from their polished surfaces. She watched as the runners quickly became two fast moving dots as they moved across the landscape towards the palace, equally as impressive as the temple with its carvings and embellishments. Crossing a huge stadium like playing field as they went that sat between the two.

"Tezcatlipoca's needs must be great this cycle for you, great Quetzilcoatl – his sworn enemy, to speak on his behalf." The priest turned his attention from Q to Janeway with a respectful nod, "And for the goddess herself to come and choose his vessel."

As they continued their descent, Kathryn glared at Q, not at all comfortable with the impression she was drawing from what the priest was saying. The omnipotent troublemaker however ignored her completely as she continued in her role. "To keep the balance, even I must bow to the greater need at times and set aside our rivalry."

Kathryn struggled to keep a straight face as they entered the playing field, knowing Q's comment had more to do with her than any fictional god that her persona was supposed to be rivals with. As her attention turned from the conversation between her omnipotent 'host' and the priest, Kathryn gasped slightly at the wall of oiled, barely clothed, golden male flesh that stood shoulder to shoulder in front of her. One hundred men, if not all handsome, all well toned with muscles like sculptures from classical Greece sculpture stood before her, their eyes trained forward, skin glistening in the sunlight.

The priest bowed slightly and swept his hand out to indicate the men in front of them. "These are the warriors who have earned the right to participate in today's celebration. Any one of them would make a perfect vessel for Tezcatlipoca."

Q slipped her tail around Kathryn's waist and led her down the line of men, standing for her inspection. "Now you can't tell me that this isn't better than field inspection day at the Academy…" Q purred in standard to the stunned woman who walked along side her. "Look at the way they look at you… With your red hair, blue eyes and pale skin, you're every inch a goddess to them."

"What are we doing here, Q?" Kathryn hissed forcing herself to stay focused on anything but the men that stood before her. "For that matter where are we?"

A hiss of frustration escaped Q's snake form. "You really are the most infuriating, ungrateful… Fine. We're in another universe. Here the Meso-American tribes rose to dominance as most of your Caucasian peoples were wiped out by the plague… Plagues. Bubonic, pneumonic, septicemic, and enteric plague… You name them, they had them. At least until they died." The snake did a good impression of rolling her eyes. "So there was never the great rise of technology, Chakotay's tribe never left Earth… In fact they rose to prominence among the other tribes and well…" Q stretched out her wings majestically. "Here we are…"

For a moment Janeway stood stalk still looking out at the sea of forms in front of her, realizing that they were all Chakotay's people. Where in her universe they were all but gone, here they thrived. Kathryn scanned the crowd, looking for any resemblance to her former first officer amongst the men gathered and could find none except in the most basic form. Looking away, a little disappointed in both herself for looking for him and the fact that he didn't seem to exist here, Kathryn's attention was drawn to a procession making it's way from the palace. A distinguished looking man dressed in a leopard skin cloak was at the front, flanked by seven stalwart looking men on either side. Another figure, that walked behind the man she assumed to be the king, seemed strangely familiar and became more so the closer he came. Her eyes widened as the procession stopped before them and full recognition of who stood before her registered in her mind. The guards on either side dropped to the ground before she and serpent formed Q moments before the two men in middle did, giving her an completely unobstructed view before he too dropped to the ground and prostrated himself before her.

Not daring to speak, Kathryn watched as Chakotay rose up and approached with the man in the leopard cloak. The priest bowed deeply. "Your majesty… Chakotay. Our people have been blessed for the renewal of our cycle with the manifestations of Quetzilcoatl and Xilonen themselves."

"Indeed," The king eyed them both warily. "And what demands do they make of us."

Q slithered forward, lowering her head to meet the king's gaze. "Nothing more than what you already planned, Kolopak. The games will commence and we will observe. The presence of the goddess will inspire your warriors to greater glory in seeking the promised prize."

Staying back, Kathryn observed as Q, the king and the high priest began to move amongst the men. The longer she was here the more uncomfortable she became and now with the arrival of Chakotay and his father it seemed that she was only waiting for the other shoe to drop. Chakotay. She took a deep breath and tried to push the invading thoughts from her mind. Even here, in this primitive environment, with a Chakotay that wasn't her own she could feel the pull, the attraction that had been between them from the outset. He was so different, yet so similar to her own Chakotay, just in appearance, that she could barely restrain her curiosity from investigating. This Chakotay must have only been about twenty, closer in age to the age of her own body right now, after Q's transformation. His body was thoroughly muscled, and without clothing to hide the rippling sinew beneath the surface of his flawless golden skin, Kathryn knew she needed to maintain her distance. Yet most of his features, dark hair and warm brown eyes aside from being younger was the same. The only thing missing was his tattoo.

Never before had he felt such a connection with a woman, goddess or not. As a king's son, Chakotay was well used to having any woman he wanted and most often did. So when his father dissuaded him from taking part in the celebrations he had agreed readily. There was no great urgency within him to give his life to his gods, though he had earned the right with the blood he had spilled on the battlefield in the preceding months. Now, as unlikely as it seemed, Chakotay found he was regretting his decision for he, even if only as the vessel for Tezcatlipoca, had passed up the opportunity to be with this goddess, whether she was Xilonen herself or not. A study in contrasts, with skin as pale as a Chillazotl blossom, hair like fire and eyes like the bluest turquoise yet her imperious gaze held such a deep sadness that he found himself compelled to approach and speak to her, whether she would be offended or not was something he would have to risk.

So involved in her own thoughts the goddess didn't notice as Chakotay slipped up alongside of her. "A joyous occasion - the renewal of the land in your honor. I am certain that there is one among us who can serve as a vessel for the great Tezcatlipoca."

The goddess almost seemed reluctant as she looked up at him and smiled, though the joy it portrayed didn't reflect in the azure pools of her eyes. "I'm certain there will be as well…" She turned her gaze towards the men once more, leaving Chakotay with the impression that she was avoiding looking at him. "Your father's warriors are very impressive."

Kathryn's heart was in her throat, hoping and fearing he would leave her be and join the others. So close and yet so far. It seemed to be an ongoing theme between she and Chakotay, any version of Chakotay. A gentle hand caressed her cheek and her gaze snapped up to his once more. A soft smile, barely displaying his dimples graced his handsome face. "Your smile never reaches your eyes. Never did I imagine to see such sorrow in such beautiful eyes. I would join in the games if I thought it would bring the joy that I see in your smile to your eyes."

Just for a few hours what would it hurt was the first thought that came to Janeway's mind. Even though she knew this Chakotay wasn't her Chakotay, what would it hurt to give into the illusion, just for a moment to relive having him look at her that way. Just as her own Chakotay had seen past the Captain to touch the woman beneath, this Chakotay saw past the awe of the illusion Q wanted him to see, to reach out to her, to ease her sadness. As Kathryn looked up into his soulful brown eyes, she decided for once to indulge herself, perhaps the few hours of happiness she would gain would fulfill the Continuum's edict of a wish. Freeing both her and the female Q from their unwilling association.

Making her decision, this time the smile did reach Kathryn's eyes. "You make me smile, Chakotay." She hesitated as she reached out to touch him, but he closed his own hand over hers and drew it to himself. "A warrior and poetic." The smile grew larger as her memory brought forward treasured memories of the legend her Chakotay once told her. Looking up into his eyes, she could see past the warmth to the storms that brewed beneath the surface. Inner turmoil so like Chakotay's when he had first joined Voyager. "Angry too, I think…"

Perhaps she was the goddess that Quetzalcoatl portrayed her to be. How else could she know and understand him so well? While he had given into his father's demands to not participate in the rights, most of the time it was not his way to allow his father to sway him. As a warrior, even one who would one day be king, he would not hesitate to undertake even the most dangerous tasks. He would not be less of a warrior than the others he fought along side. This irritated his father, who felt that as the next in line to the throne he should be more careful with his life. This one time he had given in, more because he wasn't certain he believed in the gods the games were to worship than believing himself too important to risk. However the result had been the same, appeasing his father and now he regretted it.

Chakotay could believe this woman to be a goddess. His goddess. Her touch burned him, her eyes seared him, her voice lit a blaze inside of him that would not be extinguished, yet even amidst the conflagration she created in his body, for the first time in his life he felt peace. A peace that, somehow, he knew would only ever claim him in her presence and his appeasement of his father had robbed from him. The peace Chakotay felt faded as he looked towards his father and felt his anger grow once more. Then as Kolopak gestured to one of the warriors, indicating to the winged serpent how this man would make a superior vessel, the anger engulfed his body once more. While he lived no mortal man would touch this woman but himself.

The air around them snapped with energy as he turned his gaze back to her, his eyes dark. "I am a warrior." He drew himself up, his body tight with tension. "I will fight in the games for you, Goddess."

"No," Kathryn stepped forward, pressing a hand against his chest and meeting his gaze with one of her own, blue eyes full of ice and fire. "You do not need to fight for me. I can't condone it."

Tilting his chin up, the corners of Chakotay's mouth turned up slightly as he felt the connection between them flare to life like a blaze after a lightning strike. "My decision is made, I will fight whether I have your blessing or not…" He paused as his hand grazed her cheek with a light caress. "I think I am more likely to return to you unharmed if I have it."

In one moment, Kathryn's heart both swelled with joy and broke in despair. Perhaps the harm in a few hours of joy with this Chakotay, would be the irreparable damage she would do to her own heart. How could she think that only good things could come from opening herself to this man when nothing that happened here would be or could be permanent? Even still, she couldn't stop herself, with a voice quavering with emotion, from whispering, "Return to me."

Nodding, Chakotay ran a finger down her jaw, then moved to stand in line with the other warriors, ignoring the angry glares he received from several in the line. He knew they saw how the goddess favored him, he could feel their disdain and hatred, but Chakotay didn't care. She was more important than these men, his father or even his own life. Still he braced himself for the onslaught he knew he would have to endure as the trio turned to walk up the front line once more.

The fury in the face of the King made even Kathryn draw back slightly as she watched and listened to Chakotay and his father battle over Chakotay's participation in the games. For the most part, Kathryn agreed with Kolopak, not with his reasoning of course, but anything to dissuade Chakotay from the dangerous course he'd suddenly undertaken on her behalf. Even if she hadn't asked him to join the games, Kathryn knew she'd never forgive herself if he was seriously injured in one of the fights in 'her' honor. Chakotay would not be moved however, repeating once again that he was a warrior and would not be made less of a warrior due to his royal blood. Though his gaze never turned to her, Kathryn was certain from the looks she was receiving that everyone knew why Chakotay's intention had changed. In the end, Q slithered between the two battling men, outstretching her wings. "If your son wishes to honor the Gods in this way, who are you to prevent it?"

Backed into a corner, unable to protest further without offending what he perceived as one of his gods, Kolopak relented. A curt nod to the warriors as he made his way to his vantage point within the stadium, without a final acknowledgement to his son made one thing clear. Chakotay was no longer his son in Kolopak's eyes.

"How could you, Q? I didn't want Chakotay to fight anymore than Kolopak does…" Kathryn hissed under her breath in standard to her omnipotent host.

Q eyed Kathryn as she slipped her tail around Kathryn's waist and led her up to the box opposite the King's. The silence was ominous between them and there was something in the look in Q's serpent eyes that left Kathryn uncomfortable once more. Very quickly she was distracted from her uneasiness by outright fear – not for herself but for Chakotay – as the priests had the men draw lots and the first two combatants took the field.

The air was filled with the battle cries and the shriek of obsidian against obsidian as the two warriors flung themselves into battle, their swords meeting each other with a array of sparks. A flurry of movement as each man whirled and dove, a deadly dance where neither combatant seemed to gain headway. First blood came as the smaller of the two ducked beneath the other's guard, tearing a ragged wound across the other man's chest, leaving blood gliding down the other's golden skin to drip onto the lush green grass trampled beneath their feet. It took everything inside of her to stop herself from interfering as the blood sport continued, leaving Kathryn with no way of fooling herself into believing that this was anything but a death match. As the blades sliced into each of the warriors, parting flesh, both men's movement's began to slow as pain and blood loss began to take it's toll. It ended suddenly, a life snuffed out in a moment bringing to crystal clarity exactly what Chakotay was risking, as the smaller of the two men stumbled, his foot twisting beneath him on the uneven surface of the blood slicked grass. One swing from the other's blade separated the fallen man's head from his shoulders, the sickening thud as it tumbled to the ground forcing Kathryn to clench her eyes tightly shut, her heart thundering in her chest as her fear for this Chakotay grew exponentially.

The corpse was drug away unceremoniously so that the next pair could take the field. Kathryn's stomach twisting in fear and nausea as the scent of air became akin to a slaughter house as man after man fell in the bloody round robin, limbs severed and abdomens opened so that their innards slipped from their containment. Blood literally pooling on the earth. Only her Captain's mask firmly in place separated her from the horror playing out in front of her and even that was failing her.

As she was about to demand that Q take her away from here, the sight of Chakotay taking the field stopped her cold. Eyes widening, her knuckles became white as she gripped the stone in front of her, unable to conceal the horror from her face. As he faced his opponent, Kathryn was disgusted as she found herself hoping that the other man would be defeated quickly to spare Chakotay.

Looking up towards her, Chakotay nodded slightly to acknowledge her then whirled into action, driving his opponent back with a flurry of blows. He channeled all his anger and all of his desire for the woman above into a berserk attack that left his opponent stumbling, unable to do more than defend. As wild as his attack seemed there was a rhythm to it, a plan and as his opponent raised his other arm to block, Chakotay reacted like a serpent striking. Grabbing the other man's arm and twisting it behind his opponent's back, Chakotay brought his sword up and slit the man's throat. A garbled liquid filled gasp from Chakotay's opponent filled the air, as he released him, letting the body fall to the earth before Chakotay turned and moved back to the ranks of men waiting to fight.

Relief flooded Kathryn's body as she watched Chakotay return to the ranks of the still living warriors, waiting for his next battle only to have it replaced by the horror she felt at the act he'd committed. Even knowing that this was a more primitive universe than her own, it was still difficult to accept that Chakotay would be a party to such barbarity. Kathryn shivered as she tried to compartmentalize her emotions. Relief that he hadn't died, horror at the bloodshed, but there were other feelings that defied definition or perhaps that she didn't want to put a name to. Fascination with the fluid motion of this Chakotay's body as he moved through the deadly dance, and a heat inside her that couldn't be denied as her mind's eye provided images of that supple, strong body dancing with hers in a much different way off the battlefield.

Warrior after warrior clashed on the field, until the first round of blood shed seemed finished. The ground of the field now mud from the blood of the first fifty men who had died there. Nausea and Kathryn Janeway became close friends as she had watched each battle, tension building inside her as she waited for Chakotay's second battle, and felt the brief relief that he survived again even though he was blooded in this fight. The cycle was briefly interrupted before the third round as the odd man out in the lots was brought to the middle of the field and sacrificed without battle, beheaded and the blood drained into a large brazier. Kathryn cringed back, but couldn't avoid seeing their next act, each of the remaining men dipping their cup into the cauldron and drinking deeply from the ghastly draught.

A third round reduced the contenders down to a field of twelve. The forth to a field of six weary men just as the sun began to sink towards the horizon. With each passing battle Chakotay engaged in, Kathryn's horror at the acts he committed were blunted by her relief at him surviving yet another round and then the rising tension as the next round began. Her heart thudded in her chest and she could barely restrain herself from calling out to him, encouraging him in his battles. Her teeth cut into her lip as she watched, her nails digging into her palms, as her stomach twisted unable to concentrate on anything but Chakotay. As Chakotay dispatched his fifth opponent, the other two remaining warriors took the field once more as well as the priests. A sudden rush of fear paralyzed her as the priests lifted the lots once more and she remembered the fate of the last odd man out. Without thought Kathryn found herself prevailing upon whatever spirit might be listening to ascertain that Chakotay drew the correct lot.

One of the other's, a hulking brute of a man, leered up at her, wetting his lips with his tongue before drawing his lot. A slow grin crossed his face, as he held the medal out to the priest who nodded, then he looked up at Kathryn the grin growing larger still and leaving her to move closer to Q's serpent form, raising her chin defiantly. Chakotay reached into the bag next, a wince crossed his face as his badly cut and strained arm dipped in and his hand closed around one of the medallions. As he withdrew it, he nodded to the other man who bowed slightly and reached in as well, resting most of his weight on his one good leg that didn't have long rents in the muscular flesh. When they both had medallions in their hands they opened them, showing the priest what they held.

Kathryn swallowed a scream and nearly fell to her knees as she watched Chakotay move towards the center of the field, where the first man had been sacrificed accompanied by two of the acolytes. Then her heart froze as the brute followed along with another two priests. It was the third man, who was led to long metal pole that stood beneath their box and chained to it. Younger priests approached solemnly, chanting as they wrapped cloth around him, securing him more firmly to the stake as they did. Finally the high priest approached, singing some gruesome song as he drenched the mummified form with alcohol so strong, Kathryn could smell it from where she stood. He looked expectantly at Chakotay and his opponent as he stepped back, watching as they both accepted torches just lit by the priests at their side, providing light to the darkening landscape that surrounded them. Both stepped up to the tightly wrapped man, though only Chakotay hesitated for a moment before pressing the torch to the warrior. A screech of pain and the smell of burning flesh filled the air as the third man became a living torch lighting the battleground. The priests moved forward, lighting their own torches from the burning body, then moved out to ignite the permanently emplaced torches that ringed the arena.

As the night sky was lit with glowing flames, Kathryn's attention was drawn away from the horror beneath her and to the two men who now turned to face each other as the priests withdrew from them. Slowly the combatants circled each other, fatigue from the grueling day of battle showing in their movements. Both men looking for the opening that would allow them to finish the battle as the victor. In a flurry of movement suddenly they were on each other, their weapons clashing in a shower of sparks. The hulking brute's sword slashed at Chakotay's stomach, but he whirled out of the way bringing up his sword to cleave into the flesh of the other's arm. A roar from his opponent echoed in Kathryn's ears as her heart pounded in her chest, feeling as though it was being crushed with the fear she felt.

Pain coursed though his body as he whirled and cut, but if his own survival wasn't enough, one look at his goddess as she watched was enough to push Chakotay onward, anytime he looked at the warrior across from him and pictured him with her tapping into reserves he wasn't aware that he had. Snarling, he pressed forward, his blade whistling in the air as he drove forward, slashing at the softer parts of his opponent's body, forcing the other to defend himself rather than attack. The brute blocked and parried most of his attacks, but enough broke through to leave the other man's body riddled with cuts, dripping blood and sapping the other's strength. Even still he didn't let up, knowing the battle could turn without a moment's notice.

Kathryn felt the fear in her heart ease, but her blood still thundered through her body, pounding in her ears as she watched Chakotay battle his opponent. Muscles rippling and shining with sweat and blood that glowed in the firelight. Finding herself focusing on the play of light and shadow across his body, the way he moved, the deadly grace of his every step, Kathryn found herself being drawn into the fight, her mind completely focused on willing Chakotay to win. The adrenaline that coursed through her body which each blow feeding the throbbing between her legs that she did her best to ignore. Yet with each blow, with each snarl that curled Chakotay's lips, his eyes glistening menacingly in the fire light, the battle to curb or ignore her responses was one that she was quickly loosing.

The pain in Chakotay's body was slowing him down, bringing with it a certainty that if he didn't find a way to end this soon he would fail in the vow he made to himself. That thought spurred him onwards and he pressed his attack, a guttural cry filling the air as he charged swinging his sword in a tight arc, aiming to come in under the other's guard and gut him where he stood. A sudden sweep of his opponent's arm caught him hard, using his own momentum and the slick grass beneath their feet to send him sprawling into the mud and blood.

Like a scene out of one of Tom's old movies, the scene before her seemed surreal. Chakotay's roar as he attacked, then his body hurtling through the air and crashing into the ground, his golden skin coated with the mixture of blood and dirt as he slid across the ground. Kathryn felt rather than heard her own scream, as the brute pounced towards Chakotay, set to impale him through the chest.

It was the Goddess's cry to him that shook him from his stupor, just in time to see the other flying at him. Chakotay's lip curled upward as at the last possible moment he rolled slightly, moving out of line with the sword aimed for his heart, and ramming his own through his opponent's stomach, allowing his entrails to mix with the blood and dirt below them. Twisting his blade slightly, the King's son hissed into the dying man's ear. "Did you hear her call for me? The goddess chooses me."

Kathryn leaned forward over the edge of their platform, her eyes wide as she took in the sight of the two bodies laying motionless below her. Drawing a sudden breath, her eyes were riveted to them as one of the bodies was pushed away and slowly Chakotay rose, his eyes like black flames as he held her gaze and slowly pulled himself upright, the play of light and shadow from the firelight and the mud darkened flesh giving him the look of some dark god rising from the earth to claim her. Whether it was the battle that weakened her resistance, or the disappointment of loosing her own Chakotay, or perhaps Q had changed more than just her appearance, but the fire in his eyes had lit a fire in her she was powerless to resist. Only Q's tail wrapped firmly around her waist prevented her from answering the thundering of her heart and the throbbing between her legs. Kathryn's gaze snapped to Q, who seemed to have a self satisfied grin on her face. A smug voice echoed in her mind, 'Not long now and you can answer all those needs you've denied for so long… Just play the game a while longer and you'll have a grin on your face you won't be able to wipe off for years.'

If looks could have killed, Q would have ceased to exist, but instead Kathryn drew herself up regally and met Chakotay's gaze. Her eyes promised everything she had to him, in this time and place there would be no barriers. No matter what it cost her later.

A small nod from him and he allowed the priests to lead him away, to prepare him for the next ceremony where as the vessel of Tezcatlipoca he would join with his goddess and ensure the prosperity of his people for another cycle. To be with her, no matter how briefly, in whatever circumstance was all that he could ask for. No matter what it cost him later.

"Come along now, Kathryn." Q hissed in standard. "We can go have some of that awful brown goop you like to drink until the priests are ready for you." The omnipotent female grinned as Kathryn followed along behind her towards the chamber where they would wait, her eyes never leaving Chakotay as he followed the priest down the field and never really hearing a word she said.

*~^~*~^~*

Kathryn paced like a tiger in a cage. The cage being the chamber to which she and Q had been led. The succulent ripe fruit and fresh corn bread had been brought to them as offerings lay untouched -- Q not needing to eat and the mortal woman far too nervous to touch anything but the coffee. In that regard, Q had been absolutely correct, the coffee here was exquisite, some of the best Kathryn had ever tasted but her enjoyment of it was hampered by the mounting tension that coursed through her body.

In this barbaric primitive society, even though it was his barbaric primitive society, Kathryn feared what trials Chakotay was being subjected to, all in some senseless bid to have him prove himself worthy. She glared over the top of her cup at the omnipotent creature who seemed content, curled in the corner doing nothing. Hell for all Kathryn knew that might just have been something Q left behind while she did other things in the Continuum. For whatever reason that thought angered Kathryn more than she could bare, spurring her to set aside her cup and advance on the winged serpent as it lay stalk still in it's corner.

With a spurt of movement akin to a geyser, Q was suddenly erect in her serpent form, wings unfurled and swaying slightly like an agitated cobra. "Now, now Captain… They'll be here for you soon. No need to get impatient."

"Where did they take Chakotay, Q?" Janeway stood her ground and glared up at the omnipotent being, purposefully ignoring Q's comments about the priests coming for her.

With a ripple, Q sank lower so that she could stare into Janeway's eyes. "To prepare him for the next part of the ceremony… To prepare him for you." Q's snake tongue slipped from between her lips and flicked in front of Kathryn's nose.

"Prepare him…" Janeway's brow furrowed then her eyes widened as understanding dawned at the same moment that two priests appeared in the doorway. "Q, we can't… I can't…"

Q's tail wrapped around Kathryn's waist as she drew her along with her. "You can and you will, Captain. As far as these people are concerned, you are Xilonen, wife of Tezcatlipoca and Chakotay is the chosen vessel of your husband. When you and your husband's vessel mate, you will renew the land for another year. Refuse Chakotay and you condemn the land to be barren for a cycle…" An malevolent grin spread across the omnipotent troublemaker's snake lips, "Not only that but you condemn him to death. Your refusal to accept him would certainly be seen as a bad portent and he would have to be sacrificed to appease your husband."

"This is all your doing, Q… If you hadn't brought me here." Kathryn hissed.

"Done is done, Kathryn." Q responded dismissively. "Besides I saw you watching him when he fought for you. How you called for him. How your eyes promised everything to him. You want him and he wants you… Don't let that silly self sacrificing, noble streak get in your way." The omnipotent woman's beady snake eyes flashed. "This time even your pretty little Starfleet Protocols are on your side. To refuse to carry out your part would interfere with their natural development… If you play the role I've given you, no harm, no foul and you get more pleasure than you've known in seven years."

Emerging from the chamber into dawn's first light, Kathryn was distracted from responding to Q by the fact that they were met not only by a huge procession but that the street on either side of them was lined by people tossing flowers towards the group as they moved along. As she looked out into the expectant faces of the people lining the road, the enormity of the role Q had given her to play settled on her. For these people, this was as important as getting home had been to the crew of Voyager. Young women reached out towards her, touching her arm, her shoulder as they passed. Suddenly she focused on the serpent beside her. "Q, this mating…"

"Is one of the largest celebrations of the year… The people get to see the renewal of their lands personified." The infuriatingly smug tone echoed in the air as the procession split into two groups and filed to either side of the main square of the city. There could be no mistaking what was expected of her as Kathryn took in the sight in front of her. A man she could only assume was Chakotay, as his face covered by a jaguar mask that was almost too realistic, the jaw flexing while he snarled from behind it, was restrained completely nude in the center of the square, his body oiled and glistening in the sunlight. Kathryn swallowed convulsively, not even noticing as Q slithered to one side and two priests moved towards her. Her gaze was held by the image of Chakotay's body harnessed by leather straps, his large cock held at a ninety degree angle from his body by a cock ring and leather straps, jutting proudly upwards.

The touch of a hand on her collar drew her from her stupor and Kathryn found herself looking into the eyes of the high priest. "Your mate awaits you, Xilonen… He has possessed the body of the vessel." The priest's hand deftly released the clasp that held the soft cotton material over her body and allowed it to fall to the ground, leaving her naked for all to see.

A strangled gasp escaped Kathryn's lips as the chill morning air touched her skin and she nearly reached for the garment in a desperate attempt to conceal her more rounded figure as Q's voice rang in her mind. 'Now, now, Kathryn. You wouldn't want to do anything that might give away that you're not who we made you out to be. Look at the way they're looking at you, look at Chakotay waiting for you. He may not be the original but as consolation prizes go, he's nothing to sneeze at.'

The unwelcome voice in her mind snapped her out of her reflexive grab and steeled her spine. As Kathryn glared back at the winged serpent, she became convinced that Q was purposefully baiting her so that she would fail, but there was no way in hell that Janeway would give the omnipotent bitch that satisfaction. Instead she drew herself up regally, ignoring her nakedness and stepping out of the ring of cotton that lay crumpled at her feet. Her nipples hardened and her skin dimpled with gooseflesh as she moved forward, feeling not only the cool air surrounding her but the gaze of all the onlookers on her body. With more confidence than she felt, Kathryn moved towards the restrained Chakotay, her breasts bouncing with every step, her hips rolling sultrily as she walked, the morning sunlight glistening in her reddish locks – both above and below - looking every inch the fertility goddess she was supposed to be.

As she drew closer to the snarling form of the bound man, Kathryn found herself doubting her ability to see this through. In her mind the first time that she and Chakotay came together should have been a romantic, loving encounter, filled with promises and vows, not a spectator sport complete with a cheering crowd and a snarling beast that happened to be the man she loved. The thought sent a chill through her, this wasn't her Chakotay, even if she longed for him to be so. The strong touch of a hand on her shoulder drew her attention before she could fully contemplate that thought. She found herself looking into the face of Kolopak. "It is traditional for the father of the vessel to offer pulque…" He held out a jade cup filled of the pungent liquor.

Kathryn looked down into the milky depths of the liquid and nodded respectfully to the King, understanding what it meant for him to be here. She allowed him to lift the cup to her lips, and felt the burn of the slightly slimy alcohol as it slid down her throat and numbed everything but the burning in her blood that had been ignited when she had watched Chakotay fight for her. Even before the cup was drained, Kathryn felt her eyes fixed on the snarling form in front of her, the desire to feel the stiff, pulsing shaft of Chakotay's cock embedded in her overriding everything, blocking out the sounds of the people around her. A distant part of her mind wondered at the immediate effect of the drink and wondered if Q had altered it in some way, but those thoughts did nothing to deter her purposeful stride towards her mate.

At first every female in the vicinity was in danger as he pulled at his restraints, testing them as he tried to escape from them. If he could have freed himself, in the drugged haze induced by the ritual, Chakotay knew he would have taken any of the women watching - all of them - and bred them as his own, killing any man who stood in his way. Noises from the direction of the temple drew his attention. Cheering, and footsteps in a measured cadence, that with Chakotay's intelligence left at a baser level by the preparations of the priests he was drawn to the commotion as it came closer to him.

Then he saw her. His mate. He would have known her anywhere, the sight of her, the scent of her, yet there was fear in her scent - uncertainty. A low growl escaped his chest as he called to her, trying to bring her to him. Every other woman safe now as only his mate's existence mattered to him now. As he watched the other males, some small part of his mind recognizing them as the High Priest and his father, approach his mate, touch his mate and he howled his outrage pulling at the restraints once more, fully intending to kill any man who touched her but him. As she drank deeply from the cup, her scent changed - the fear that had tainted it faded and the scent of her arousal, her readiness to accept him as her mate replaced it.

More graceful than any jungle cat as she stalked towards him, her hips swaying and breasts jiggling in time with her steps, all her senses enhanced from the drink. The cool air tickled her skin causing her nipples to pucker into tight sensitive nubs, the sand beneath her feet slid sensuously between her toes the heat making her muscles relax, her mate's scent on the breeze filled her senses and made her center ache to have him embedded within her, pumping her full of his essence, renewing the earth once more. As she reached him, her ears were filled with the low purr that came from her mate, welcoming her to his side. Her fingers drew trails against the oiled flesh, enjoying the feeling of the silken smooth texture beneath her fingertips. Slowly she traced her way to the proudly jutting manhood, that throbbed beneath the ring holding it erect, then drew a single finger up it's length watching as he bucked against the sensation, the angry purple head of his cock weeping slightly from the added stimulation. Wrapping her fingers around the shaft, she began to stroke his cock, feeling the throbbing pulse against her palm, watching as the shaft twitched from the sensations she was feeding it.

Growling and bucking against the sweet torture his mate visited on his flesh, Chakotay found himself lost in the pleasures that she gave him. His cock ached from the explosion building inside it, his skin burned where she touched it and fed his need to be one with her. His hands clenched and unclenched in rhythm with her strokes, his hips pressing his cock into her hand. Needing more yet unable to force the issue from his restrained position.

Another drop of fluid that oozed from the tip of his cock seemed to almost be calling her lips and tongue to wipe it away and try to summon more. Her tongue flicked out, wetting her lips as her eyes fixated on his cock yet a collective groan from the villagers in attendance drew her attention away from him and onto them. A part of her recoiled from the thought of all these people watching her as she joined with her mate for the first time, but it also heightened her arousal as she looked out at the crowd, seeing the tell tale bulges beneath the men's coarse, loose trousers and the women's nipples, obviously erect beneath their soft cotton shifts. Need and lust played on the faces of each person watching them, need and lust fuelled by them, each man wished to be her mate, and each woman was envious of her. The realization was intoxicating and brought with it such a sense of power that the horrified part of her was unceremoniously silenced.

Slowly she drew herself up, running her hand along the length of his cock, scraping her nails against it's surface, and making eye contact with as many of the observers as she could before turning and straddling the jaguar masked face of her new lover. Lowering herself over him, she felt his tongue shoot up inside of her eagerly, a low rumble escaping his lips before she felt him begin to devour her sex. His lips nimbly pulling the swollen folds of skin into his mouth, before sucking them, running sharp teeth against the sensitive flesh. Kathryn gasped and arched, her breasts jutting out, nipples pointing upwards as she writhed on his face, the coarse fur covered mask rubbing against her sopping sex, torturing and abusing the tissues there yet the sensation was so exquisite there was no way she could stop.

While eating his mate alive wasn't an option, Chakotay gobbled at her sex like a starving man. She filled his senses, the taste of her, the scent of her sex surrounded him, flooded and overtook every thought in his mind. She possessed him as completely as he needed to possess her. He could feel her soft skin pressing down against his chest, the hard nubs of her nipples grazing his abdomen as she bent over, lowering herself down, then he felt the soft, wet length of her tongue run along his cock following the same path as her fingers had moments before. The wet heat, followed by the cool air along it's path was shear ecstasy and he bucked up, his cock seeking out the moist haven of her mouth that he knew would soon engulf him. His entire member tingled as her lips kissed the swollen purple head of his cock, her tongue tickling the slit, a soft moan escaping her lips as she savored the salty liquid she pulled from it's tip. Soft flesh engulfed him on all sides, as her lips encased the head of his cock and slowly slid down the shaft, taking him into her mouth as deeply as she could.

A moan of pleasure escaped his lips and transmitted the her clit as he suckled at the engorged nub. A sensation which seemed to please his mate as she gasped and sucked at his cock harder, her head bobbing up and down at a furious pace as she lapped and slurped at the hard length. Her teeth added an edge of pain to the pleasure as she gently scraped them up the underside of his prick, then sank down again, engulfing him in the sticky wet cavern of her mouth, her saliva running down the sensitive flesh of his cock, leaving him gloriously slick as her lips and tongue massaged his length. He could feel his release just beyond his reach, the ring that circled his member holding off his orgasm so that their coupling would last longer and ensure a long fertile season for the cycle. Yet it enraged him and he pumped into her mouth furiously, pleased when she held her jaw taut and allowed him to fuck her mouth for his own pleasure.

The pleasure his mouth was bringing her simply wasn't enough anymore, Kathryn decided as she felt him fuck her mouth with the thick rod, thrusting deep into her mouth as though it was her sex he was plundering. She needed him inside of her, to feel the rhythm of his thrusts in her core. Placing a steadying hand on one of his hips, Kathryn pulled herself up, bringing both her mouth and her pussy away from him in one motion. Chakotay howled in protest, the jaguar mask contorting in anger as he struggled against his bonds in an effort to restrain her. As she stood, Kathryn looked around the circle of onlookers, most of the men were not even trying to hide their masturbatory efforts as their hands were inside their pants stroking their cocks at a furious pace. The women had it harder, most of them had sunk to the ground and were rocking with their legs clenched tightly shut, stimulating themselves in the least obvious way they could find. Smiling a crooked grin, Kathryn stretched languorously, allowing everyone to take a good look at her body, the soft auburn hair crowning her mound, the sticky sheen to her thighs where her lubrication and Chakotay's saliva had seeped, and the perfect swell of her breasts, for once in her life feeling completely worthy of the looks of adoration that the watchers gave her.

Once more Kathryn's finger's wrapped around his cock, but this time she straddled his hips, guiding the thick head of his cock to the lips of her sex, and teasingly running it against them, torturing both herself and him with the feelings it created. Her entire body felt liquid and her center was boiling as she slowly lowered herself over him, feeling her sex stretch around his large girth and whimpering with pleasure as she sank, taking him to the hilt. Her muscles rippled around his cock, massaging it as she began to ride him, slowly lifting her body up and down, pulling almost off the thick rod before sinking down once more. Chakotay filled her full, fitting inside her perfectly, his cock probing the channel of her sex fully, touching parts of her she thought had never been touched before now. Gripping him inside of her, Kathryn's muscles squeezed him hard before releasing him once more, following the same slow, purposeful pace she set as she bounced up and down on him, her soft breasts moving in rhythm with both her thrusts and her breathing.

It was maddening. Her pace, being able to feel her engulfing him, yet unable to touch her, to squeeze or suck the ripe mounds of flesh that jiggled just slightly out of his reach. He had had enough. Tensing all his muscles, he gave a great heave and the sounds of snapping leather and wrenching metal filled the air. His hands wrapped around her waist freely now, though the chains still jingled from his wrists, and he jerked her down, bringing one of those creamy breasts and swollen nipples to his lips.

She gasped as his mouth engulfed her breast, drawing her out of her reverie. As Kathryn looked down at him any illusion of control she had been furnished with, thanks to his bonds, shattered. His eyes mesmerized her, held her in their thrall. The feeling of his lips at her breast made her wish she had milk there to quench his thirsts with. His hands at her hips began to control her pace, holding her as he hammered his cock up into her body, the loud slurping sex noises filling the air along with the groans of the people surrounding them. Her passion filled cries joined theirs as he battered her cervix with the head of his cock, her muscles still rippling around him, milking his cock for his seed.

It still wasn't enough. Lifting her off of him, he forced her onto the ground in front of him. Positioning her on her hands and knees, holding her down as she struggled against him, not yet ready to concede to him completely. A growl of pleasure left his throat as he mounted her from behind, ramming his cock into her, the force of his thrust pushing her face down into the sand before them. Even now with her slick heat surrounding him, her sex still rippling and convulsing and all the leverage he could desire, it still wasn't enough to bring him the relief and release he craved.

With the first few deep thrusts from behind, Kathryn found her body thrashing it's way through an earth shattering orgasm. Wave upon wave of pleasure rolling through her body as he took her hard and fast. Forcing her to be completely female to his rampant masculinity and leaving her breathless with pleasure. She had recovered from that first orgasm to find himself pummeling her still. His cock like a piston inside of her, taking her tirelessly, relentlessly wringing orgasm after orgasm from her body, until she couldn't tell where one stopped and the next began. Her entire body was engulfed in a never ending cycle of pleasure, a puddle of lubrication pooled on the sand between her spread legs. Her body and hair soaked with sweat, unable to do more than receive the brutal fucking her body was being subjected to. Opening her eyes, she could see that the watchers had given up any pretense of propriety and had joined them in the cycle of lust and pleasure.  
With the last bit of energy Kathryn had left she pushed herself up, pumping her ass back against him, moving in time with his thrusts, her muscles convulsing, squeezing and releasing him. "Take me, Chakotay… Fuck me harder. Come inside of me. Pound your cock into me. Brand me as yours from the inside out. I want you in me, your seed, not the god's. I want you…" Kathryn panted encouragingly then whimpered as his strokes gained more strength. "I'm not a goddess, Chakotay, but I am yours. Your woman, your mate." She struggled to fight off the reality that threatened to break through the pulque and remind her that this was temporary. "Come inside of me, damn it."

Whether it was her words, or the feeling of her pumping back against him, the explosion that had been held at bay for so long was coursing up the length of his cock. He drove himself into her harder, leaning over her body, part of his rational mind returning to him as his hands gripped her breasts, using them to increase his leverage as he ground his cock deep inside her body. "You may not be the goddess, but you are my goddess…" His voice was sensuous though broken as his breathing became staccato, and his tongue ran along her neck. "You are my mate, my woman and I am going to plant my seed deep within you so it will take root." A sharp cry of pleasure escaped her and he felt her body shudder and spasm around him once more, her sex once again milking his cock for the seed he had promised her.

This time her orgasm triggered his own, and with a final hard thrust he felt his balls clench, shot after shot of his semen boiling out of his cock and splattering against her cervix, filling her sex full. The pleasure of his release, rolled through his body and he collapsed against her as his nerve endings blazed in a white fire of ecstasy that engulfed him completely.

*~^~*~^~*

Kathryn woke a short time later, but instead of being wrapped comfortably in Chakotay's strong arms, she was on a soft bed of pillows being gently washed by several young attendant girls while Q watched her with a smug grin on her face. "See I told you, you'd enjoy it… You even got over the idea of people watching you fairly easily."

A blush coated Kathryn's skin as she tried to ignore the pounding in her head to ask the one question that was the most important to her at this moment. "Q, where is Chakotay?"

"Chuckles Mk. II? I suppose they're getting him ready to send him to the gods… That is what they do with anyone who's been a vessel after all." Q's snake visage was even colder in it's pronouncement of his death than her human one could have been.

Kathryn forced herself up from the pillows, understanding immediately what the priests intended to do, and stalked up to the snake. "No, Q… They can't. He only joined in the ceremony because of me. I won't let him be condemned to death. Do something."

"Sorry, can't." Q said dismissively, ignoring the human woman's obvious distress. "That would be against both your prime directive and my own."

Having had enough of being manipulated by the omnipotent bitch, Kathryn lifted her snake tail and twisted it hard between both hands, forcing the snake formed Q to hiss in pain and rear up dangerously over the human woman. Kathryn didn't back down, instead glaring up at the Q, her eyes narrowing. "You're supposed to find a way to make me deliriously happy, right? Then find a way to spare Chakotay."

The Q sank lower, her beady black snake eyes once again staring deeply into the human woman's blue eyes. "There is one way… Since you're a goddess to them, instead of them sending him the normal way, you can take him home with you."

The mortal's blue eyes widened. Kathryn had reconciled herself to the fact that she would be separated from this Chakotay and while it pained her, she wasn't certain she could deal with the ramifications of taking him home with her, "Q, I can't… He doesn't belong in my universe. There already is a Chakotay there…"

"What difference does that make… It's not as though it hasn't happened before. After all there are two Will Rikers in your universe, even if one of them calls themselves Tom." Q coiled herself into a relaxed position. "It's your choice, Kathy. Take the puppy home with you, or have him put to sleep here."

The pain at the thought of leaving this Chakotay behind increased exponentially when the fact that leaving him behind was also a death sentence for her lover. Taking him home with her, meant some discomfort, a period of adjustment as he became accustomed to her universe but none of the heart wrenching pain that she was experiencing now. He may not have belonged with her at first, but the instant they had come together he had become her Chakotay and she had become his. Drawing herself up regally, Kathryn focused on Q once more. "Time to make one more appearance as these people's gods, Q."

*~^~*~^~*

From the time Chakotay had met Kathryn Janeway, the one thing he had never expected was to have her standing with him as his best man at his wedding to another woman. Even at the beginning, he had thought that when his wedding day came it would be her standing at his side as his wife, not his best man. Maybe that was why it didn't really surprise him that the ever punctual Kathryn Janeway was late. There was even a small part of him that flattered himself by thinking that might have been the reason she was late in arriving for the wedding rehearsal. Moments later however, his brow furrowed in confusion as a harried looking, yet strikingly familiar, twenty year old, young woman emerged into the hall in a cream colored pants suit.

Tom grinned as he saw her step into the room recognizing the Admiral immediately. Of course he had two distinct advantages over everyone else in the room. One, he had known Kathryn when she was this young the first time around. Two, his father had warned him in advance of what had transpired in the past week. Still it didn't stop a whistle from escaping his lips. "My dad wasn't joking when he said it was you but not quite…" Tom grinned as he walked up to Kathryn, pulling her into a tight bear hug. "Looks good on you, Admiral."

Eternally grateful to Tom for breaking the ice, Kathryn hugged him back just as tightly. "Kathryn, Tom… Just Kathryn. I felt uncomfortable being called Admiral before, how do you think I feel now."

The ice having been broken the other members of Voyager's crew crowded around her, peppering her with questions which she happily answered until Chakotay broke through their ranks. "Kathryn?" He stepped up to her, feeling his body react in ways it shouldn't to the woman before him, especially considering his fiancé was just behind them.

Taking a deep breath, Kathryn nodded and looked up at her old friend. "Yes, it's me, Chakotay. A gift from Ms. Q for helping to bring her son to heel." She smiled slightly. "Not something I would have chosen, but it's not working out too badly. Of course, I'm not about to let her know that."

Chakotay chuckled, Kathryn's off beat sense of humor doing more to convince him that the beautiful young woman in front of him was his Kathryn than anything else. "Absolutely, wouldn't want them to get the impression you actually liked something they did."

"Ugh, they're insufferable enough as it is…" Kathryn rolled her eyes and grinned up at her friend then turned and smiled at Seven. "I really am sorry I'm late, but I was waiting for Phoebe to come by and she's never been punctual a day in her life."

Seven nodded in acknowledgement of her former Captain and mentor's words, but the expression on her face was one of displeasure. Tom, who was watching the entire scene, chuckled slightly. Seven was used to being the shining star in any room and there was no getting around the fact that Kathryn Janeway, whom he always thought had outshone the former Borg, now outshone everyone, including the bride to be.

"Shall we get this show on the rode?" Kathryn smiled at Chakotay and drew him to the head of the room where the officiating Justice stood waiting for them.

Nodding to Seven, Chakotay moved alongside Kathryn and watched as the bride's party disappeared into the back. The music was queued as Seven and her bridesmaids, with an almost teenage Naomi Wildman as her maid of honor, emerged and made their way up the aisle. A part of Chakotay was almost hurt by how happy Kathryn looked to be a part of the ceremony. This wasn't putting on a brave face, it was far more than that and a small part of his pride wanted her to be wounded that he was marrying someone other than her.

Tom continued his favorite pastime, people watching, as the practice ceremony kicked into high gear. It was obvious that Kathryn had no regrets now and he had to wonder exactly what Q had done to help her through it, because this was by no means the same woman that he and B'Elanna had had lunch with just after Chakotay had asked her to serve as his best man. As much as he hated the idea, he definitely owed the omnipotent woman a thank you, for whatever she did.

The noise of the hall doors opening drew his attention and his jaw dropped as Phoebe Janeway and a very familiar looking young man strode into the hall, making it very obvious to some extent what Q did to repay Kathryn for her debt. "Sorry, are we interrupting?" The entire wedding party turned and Tom watched with some small satisfaction as the same reaction he had was mirrored on the faces of the rest of the group. The look on Kathryn's face was mixed between horror, outrage and anger at her sister as Phoebe and a person Tom assumed was a much younger version of Chakotay strode further into the hall. "The jeweler called after you left… You forgot to pick up the rings. So Chumalli and I decided to do you a favor, little sister, and pick them up for you." The mischievous grin on Phoebe's face was pure Janeway and Tom had to stop himself from laughing.

"Thank you," Kathryn held out her hand to her sister who dropped the wedding bands into her outstretched palm, making a tiny ringing noise as they struck each other. The look on her face was anything but thankful as her expression promised Phoebe a million different kinds of pain.

Up until then the younger version of their former first officer had been looking around the room with curiosity, but almost as though his lover's voice spurred him to movement, his head came up. He moved to pull Kathryn into his embrace, his leanly muscled body, which had gained the attention of every woman in the room – married or not, slipping along side of her and drew her body to his. Kathryn couldn't help but relax into his embrace. "I wanted to meet your friends, beloved." He said simply and despite Kathryn's ire with her sister, she didn't have the heart to deny her lover's simple request, despite the discomfort it would cause.

It was Chakotay that broke the spell. "What the hell is this, Kathryn?" The anger in his voice while partially justified, made her more than a little angry.

Before she could respond however, Phoebe's voice echoed through the hall. "You can't be that dense, can you? It's an alternate version of you, of course… I told Kathryn she should just have him go on using the name Chakotay, but no. She had to make things more comfortable for you." Phoebe looked at Tom with a crooked grin plastered on her face. "It's not as though any of the rest of us have a copyright on our names."

"Phoebe…" Kathryn growled and scowled at her sister from the protective embrace of her lover then turned her attention on Chakotay and the rest of the wedding party. "I had hoped we'd get through the wedding before this came up… Maybe even until the next reunion." At the deepening furrow in Chakotay's brow, she sighed and continued. "It was Q… More of her repayment and thanks to her interference, it was either bring him here or leave him there to die." Kathryn looked desperately at Chakotay, seeking if not his forgiveness at least his understanding. "I couldn't let him die, Chakotay."

For a moment, Chakotay's anger held sway but then the look in Kathryn's eyes, the way this other version of himself held her, the fact Kathryn hadn't been able to let even this other version of himself die. In a way, he rationalized it was a testament to what they had felt for one another. That she hadn't interfered with his happiness now. Only Q's interference had brought Kathryn this other lover, another version of himself, that she hadn't been able to allow to die. He nodded brusquely, it would take getting used to but he couldn't hold it against Kathryn.

Chakotay held out his hand to his younger self, "I'm glad, Kathryn has you, Chumalli."

Taking his hand and shaking it as was the custom here, Chumalli smiled. "Thank you. She will be cared for very well, you needn't worry." He pulled his hand away to curl it protectively around Kathryn's abdomen. "After all…" He smiled deeply, his own dimples showing as he watched his lover, "Q selected me as a superior mate and father for Kathryn's children."


End file.
